“They’re called upon to do dangerous work in order to protect the public and in order to protect themselves,” Padilla said.

The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office dealt with 600 cases involving obstruction of legal process in 2006, but that number has been declining.

“With the tragic incident that occurred last week with the Mendota Heights officer, I think we are more heightened to all of this,” Choi said. “But from time to time we get cases all the time in which somebody is assaulting a police officer.”

Choi said it appears Nickson had gotten into a domestic dispute of some kind before asking the officer to take him to jail.

Kate Raddatz joined the WCCO-TV team in April 2013, but it wasn't her first time inside the newsroom. She worked as the "Good Question" intern in college. An Excelsior native and proud Gopher grad, she's thrilled to be telling stories in the place...